Summer of 2014

[iftikhar]

The Reds are lining up a shock move for Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema. Metro

Tottenham are confident of beating Liverpool to the signing of Yevhen Konoplyanka, despite the Ukrainian coming so close to joining Anfield in January. Sunday Mirror

Inter Milan are set to rival Liverpool for Arsenal right-back Bacary Sagna. Daily Mirror

The Reds are preparing a bid for Malaga midfielder Ignacio Camacho. Sports Direct News

Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes wants a move to the Premier League - putting Liverpool on red alert. The Mirror

Liverpool face competition from Italian giants Roma in the chase for Mathieu Valbuena. Sports Direct News

The Reds may make a summer swoop for Tottenham’s Gylfi Sigurdsson. Caught Offside

Everton FC and Liverpool FC have been joined by Sevilla in the race to sign Levante goalkeeper Keylor Navas. Talksport

Now, it can exclusively be revealed by Winner Sports that Liverpool are looking to make double swoop for Red Bull Salzburg youngsters Kevin Kampl and Martin Hinteregger in the summer as part of relentless drive to acquire talented young players from across Europe.

[BusterLfc]

Benzema, Kroos, Richards and Garay, please.   

[Curtinho]

Mats Hummels (26m), Mario Fernandes (13m), Ivan Rakitic (20m), Ignacio Camacho (5m) and Yehven Konoplyanka (17m) for first team additions.

Viktor Fischer (7m), Kevin Kampl (7.5m) and Martin Hinteregger (3m) as young potentially great players that can rotate in when necessary but are more for the future of the club.

Daniel Agger (17m), Glen Johnson (12m), Pepe Reina (free), Victor Moses (loan), Aly Cissokho (loan), Sebastian Coates (2.5m), Iago Aspas (7m) and Oussama Assaidi (4.5m) out.

So spending 98.5m and bringing in 43m (net spending of 55.5m). Might be a bit rich for our budget, but I'm not sure. Loan out Jordon Ibe, Suso and Conor Coady again.

Leaving us with 'realistic' first team options across all competitions:

Defence: Mario Fernandes, Martin Kelly, Jon Flanagan, Mats Hummels, Martin Skrtel, Mamadou Sakho, Kolo Toure, Jose Enrique, Martin Hinteregger, Andre Wisdom, Tiago Ilori

Midfield: Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson, Philippe Coutinho, Joe Allen, Ivan Rakitic, Lucas Leiva, Ignacio Camacho, Kevin Kampl, Luis Alberto, Joao Texeira

Attackers: Luis Suarez, Daniel Sturridge, Raheem Sterling, Yehevn Konoplyanka, Fabio Borini, Viktor Fischer, Samed Yesil

Deep with a lot of talent and a blend of youth plus experience. There's also the option of keeping Ibe and Suso around if more depth/help is needed.

[McAgger]

No way we're going to be making that many signings El Cujo. Especially the youngsters. Also a question for you, do you watch our academy games? We have a host of talents that many of whom look like they have a shot at making it with us (Rossiter, Chirivella, Wilson, Kent, etc).

Hummels is an impossibility. If he does become available , which he won't, every top team will be vying for his signature.

Camacho is not good enough to play for us. He's stagnated with Malaga and doesn't look like the player from last year. And plus we don't need anymore depth signings. Starting XI only.

Rakitic and my boi Conner are the two realistic targets from that list. Both are favorites of mine and will surely be available. Also Rakitic will be fairly cheap as he'd only have 1 year left in his contract in the summer.

Verdict: Konoplyanka and Rakitic IN. Realistic and I also think they'd be useful.

[Curtinho]

I know we're not going to be doing that specifically, but it's a general idea of the direction I'd like to see Liverpool heading. With many more games next year (probably) top end depth is important. Truthfully who are you taking out of our starting XI next year? Gerrard, Henderson, Coutinho, Sterling, Sturridge or Suarez? If you're only looking for starting XI then you are looking only for defenders, IMO.

Unless you mean starting XI depth, which is what I am interested in as well. Guys like Rakitic, Konoplyanka, Fernandes, etc.

Also none of those players are targets that I think are set in stone. Just the type of player I'd like to see targeted.

EDIT: Also Camacho is only 23 years old, and plays for one of the worst teams in the Spanish top division which may very well be facing relegation this year. He has been one of their only good players this year. If anything it's injuries holding him back, because in games that he's started this year he's averaging almost a 7.5 rating according to 'whoscored' (admittedly I haven't seen any of his games this year)! A bit early to write off such a young, talented defensive midfielder IMO.

[Red Alert]

Need a RCB, defensive minded midfielder to rival Lucas (and play the controller role please), number 10 and depth in the final third. lol

Massive summer incoming.

[ExtremistEnigma]

CB, DM/CM, LB, attacker.. priority in that order.

[BeautifulGame]

We are linked with Bojan in today's mirror.

For a reported 5 mil he will be an excellent addition to our team IMO. I haven't seen him in the recent past but think his style of play will suit us perfectly and is versatile which BR likes as well.

A front 6 of

Konoplyanka Struddige Suarez
Sterling Borini. Bojan. Aspas

Will have quality up front and enough depth to compete on all 4 competitions

[iftikhar]

DM/CM, LB, CB, attacker.. priority in that order.

fixed   

[Helmer]

one top class FB and if we sell one of the CB, get one WC CB and Kono and a Player like Rakitic...we will frracking walk over the scrubs like Chelsea, ManCity and Arsnal in the league if we Keep the rest of the squad

[iftikhar]

one top class FB

Johnson, Enrique, Cissoko (should leave), Kelly (should be sold or sent on loan), Flanagan, Wisdom & Robinson (too young and can do with another loan spell). Problem is both the first-choice are of similar quality (though they may not have performed at a similar level).

one WC CB

Toure (stuck with him for another year), Agger, Skrtel, Shako (probably touted as the automatic choice), Coates (should be sold) & Ilori. Doubt either of Agger & Skrtel (whoever is NOT sold) will be willing to be rotation.

Kono and a Player like Rakitic

While these two along with Suarez & Sturridge will make our attack as good as it gets, it will not solve our problem of not having a DM/defensive-minded CM with Gerrard being another year older.

[Curtinho]

Rakitic is pretty good defensively, and would probably excel in a similar way to Gerrard playing in the deeper midfield role.

However Ignacio Camacho (whom we have been linked with recently), Sven Bender and Daley Blind would all be good options to shore up the defensive side of the midfield IMO. Another guy to look at might be Miguel Veloso. It's really too bad about Matic.

Gerrard, Henderson, Coutinho, Allen, Lucas, Texeira, Suso (maybe?), Assaidi (maybe?) is a fairly deep midfield already and with two additions (say Camacho/Bender/Veloso/Blind and Isco/Rakitic/Firmino/Draxler/Kampl) it could be world class to go along with our world class attack IMO.

[Red Alert]

We are linked with Bojan in today's mirror.

For a reported 5 mil he will be an excellent addition to our team IMO. I haven't seen him in the recent past but think his style of play will suit us perfectly and is versatile which BR likes as well.

Hope not.

[BeautifulGame]

We are linked with Bojan in today's mirror.

For a reported 5 mil he will be an excellent addition to our team IMO. I haven't seen him in the recent past but think his style of play will suit us perfectly and is versatile which BR likes as well.

Hope not.

Is he playing badly for Ajax? Havent seen him since his Barca days tbh.

[Red Alert]

I don't think he's worth the risk when we already have better.

He's been rotated, he did okay earlier this season but has faded since. He's a bit like Freddy Adu, no? Talented youngster, the "next big thing" according to fifa "top 100 youngsters" and FM , but never really made it. I mean, for all his goals in Barcelona's youth academy, his finishing is very VERY bad...

Quite harsh, considering he got an assist today (his passing is decent, mind) in the Europa, but yeah he's not good enough.

[BeautifulGame]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/10665014/Liverpool-manager-Brendan-Rodgers-interested-in-signing-Cardiff-captain-Steven-Caulker.html

I think Telegraph are trolling us   

[Red Alert]

That's actually worrying considering they're a credible source...

[Fahim89]

Whose Roberto Firmino??   

[Art Morte]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/10665014/Liverpool-manager-Brendan-Rodgers-interested-in-signing-Cardiff-captain-Steven-Caulker.html

I think Telegraph are trolling us   

That's actually worrying considering they're a credible source...

I think Caulker's a pretty good CB and definitely one who should look for a PL club if Cardiff go down. Wouldn't be against buying him if we needed a CB, but I don't think we do.

[Helmer]

no need of Caluker ot choker we need a top class CB, because we alread have depth in terms of Wisdom, Illori although they are not experienced enough in EPL I think they have enough qualities.

[BeautifulGame]

That's actually worrying considering they're a credible source...

Nah it would have been worrying if it was written by Chris Bascombe Liverpool correspondent for Telegraph.

Its written by Matt Law who mainly writes about London clubs think its agent drumming up interest (Caulker formerly of spurs) to get a summer move

[iftikhar]

I think Caulker's a pretty good CB

He is no better than Skrtel or Agger.

[Curtinho]

http://www.football.co.uk/liverpool/luciano_vietto_s_agent_confirms_liverpool_contact_over_summer_move_rss4599557.shtml

http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014/02/12/ag-liverpool-targeting-a-move-for-16-year-old-marseille-playmake/

[Red Alert]

That's actually worrying considering they're a credible source...

Nah it would have been worrying if it was written by Chris Bascombe Liverpool correspondent for Telegraph.

Its written by Matt Law who mainly writes about London clubs think its agent drumming up interest (Caulker formerly of spurs) to get a summer move

Perhaps.

Rodgers is known for going for players he's worked with though, and he's coached/managed Caulker. He's actually a decent prospect, and can be class in the future, but I don't think he's what we need unless we sign a top class CB, and sell both of Agger/Skrtel to bring Caulker in as the third which won't happen...

[Red Alert]

You have to plan to succeed,” Rodgers told the ECHO.“It’s something we are doing already.

“There is no doubt that if you arrive in the Champions League, it opens up the market to a different quality and type of player.

“We are certainly not complacent but you certainly have to have two plans ready. There’s no doubt that where you finish and whether you have Champions League football can affect you.

“We know what being back in the Champions League can bring us. If we don’t make it there then we will still look to reinforce the squad in the summer and look to make more strides forward.”

So we either get Kroos if we make CL or we go for Nolan if we fail yet again. (I've lost faith in this whole "back up" player the committee thinks what's right...)

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